Pioneering the Future of Nursing

An innovative partnership between local NHS Trusts and the University of Chester is set to create a new support role for nurses across Cheshire and Wirral.

CWP has successfully led a local partnership bid to be selected by Health Education England (HEE) as one of only 11 pilot sites across England to pioneer the new nursing associate role.

In announcing the successful bids today, HEE described the partnership as “experienced”, providing “Nursing Associates across the acute, community and primary care for urban, rural and coastal communities, with a strong emphasis on learning disabilities and mental health services.”

Avril Devaney, CWP director of nursing, therapies and patient partnerships, explains: “We are absolutely delighted that our partnership has been selected to pioneer the new Nursing Associate role for healthcare in England.

“Our bid focussed on delivering person centred care, ensuring people and their families who access services are treated as individuals and that their personal needs and preferences about their care are taken into consideration. I’d like to thank everyone who worked on the bid for their commitment and innovative ideas.”

Professor Lisa Bayliss Pratt, Director of Nursing and Deputy Director of Education and Quality, HEE, said: “I am delighted with the high level of interest and the quality of the applications received. It shows that there is a real appetite for helping to deliver this new role which we believe can provide a real benefit to the nursing and care workforce across a range of settings and play a key role in the delivery of patient care with safety at its heart.”

Professor Annette McIntosh-Scott, Executive Dean of the University of Chester’s Faculty of Health and Social Care, said: “This is fantastic news and we are proud that the partnership has been selected to provide this new training and we look forward to welcoming the new cohort of Nursing Associates.”

The role will help bridge the gap between health and care support workers, who have a care certificate, and graduate registered nurses and offers opportunities for health care assistants to progress into nursing roles. Recruitment for the new Nursing Associates will start imminently with the successful candidates taking up posts early in 2017.